Become your own mental-health expert Psychiatrist Dr Steve Ellen and comedian Catherine Deveny combine forces to demystify the world of mental health. Providing an insider perspective, they share their personal experiences of mental illness and unpack the current knowledge about conditions and treatments. What do we know? What don’t we know? How do we get…

Published 10 June, 2018 – https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/bourdain-spade-questions-remain-but-this-much-is-certain-20180610-p4zkld.html#comments In the last week we’ve witnessed the deaths by suicide of two high-profile figures – Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. Both seemed to have the world at their feet – loved, supported, sought-after, wealthy and admired. Both deaths came as a complete shock to those who knew them best.…

An article from the Nine Coach site where I comment on the issue of regular mental health check ups and whether we should all get them (spoiler alert – No!). http://coach.nine.com.au/2016/11/11/14/57/jesinta-campbell-mental-health-check-up-frequency

Man Up is a three-part ABC documentary exploring whether the stereotype of the emotionally-stunted, stoic Aussie man is contributing to our high rate of male suicide. It’s done from the perspective of a quintessential Aussie bloke – Gus Worland – one of three male co-hosts on the Grill Team, a Sydney morning radio show that’s…

We’re off and racing; an election is booked for July 2. For most of us this means a little extra news to digest each day, a few extra likes to click on Facebook, and a chance to voice our treasured opinions. But for those in the business of politics it’s a marathon like no other.…

Public figures sharing private information is the norm nowadays. Our thirst for information, combined with the wonders of the internet and lax approaches to privacy, is creating a perfect storm. News outlets, websites and social media swim with self-disclosure. Politicians share their private lives; celebrities explain their indiscretions; athletes appeal for understanding – while we…

Who doesn’t love a good laugh…. https://theconversation.com/the-lowdown-on-laughter-from-boosting-immunity-to-releasing-tension-56568

Alex Darling wrote a great article on the risks of benzodiazepines like Valium. I did my best to give some useful tips on how to avoid problems. http://thenewdaily.com.au/life/2016/03/01/benzodiazepines-get-addicted/

People claim the great Australian dream is home ownership. Rubbish. It’s winning TattsLotto. Ever since I was a kid, one question has popped up around the kitchen table, at the pub, over coffee, and even in bed: what would you do if you won TattsLotto? Recently the dream took a bizarre twist as we followed…

Anyone who’s worked in a big organisation will know about KPIs – key performance indicators. Numbers to measure how the organisation is functioning. We have dozens in hospitals – time from arrival to discharge, infection rate, falls rate, seclusions rate, sick leave rates etc, etc. They annoy some people who claim they’re “too simplistic” or…